Yanchep: man fined for keeping snake unlicensed

A MAN has been fined after police discovered he was keeping a snake at a Yanchep property without a licence during a raid earlier this year.

Scott Antony Carey did not appear in Joondalup Magistrates Court on Friday when Magistrate Michelle Pontifex fined him $250.

Senior Constable John Horton prosecuted the case under permission from the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, saying officers found the southwestern carpet python during a search on July 13.

Carey faced a maximum fine of $2000.

A licence to keep a southwestern carpet python costs $40 a year once approved by the department and the owner must be aged at least 18.

The department website stated licenses were required to “ensure such animals receive the specialised care they require and wild populations are protected.”

The Perth Zoo webpage lists the southwestern carpet python, which can grow up to 3m long, as “near threatened”.